Sunderland old boy Lewis Grabban returned to Wearside to deal the Black Cats fading survival hopes yet another blow.

Chris Coleman’s team was brushed aside all too easily by promotion-chasing Aston Villa at the Stadium of Light, with Grabban – who spent the first half of the season on loan with Sunderland and scored a dozen goals for the club – heading the opener ten minutes before half-time.

James Chester doubled the Villans’ lead on the stroke of half-time, and then in the second period another ex-Black Cat Conor Hourihane saw his attempted cross deflect off Bryan Oviedo and past Jason Steele.

And that added up to a routine victory for former Sunderland boss Steve Bruce, who is now in charge of Villa.

As for Sunderland, their plight is worsening with every game that passes.

Fans start to leave after Aston Villa score their third goal (Image: PA)

They have now gone eight games without a win, picking up only three points in the process, and remain anchored to the foot of the Championship.

Relegation rivals Burton Albion, Birmingham City, Barnsley, and Hull City, all lost, and the gap between Sunderland fourth bottom is still four points, but they now have only 10 games to claw back the deficit.

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And on this evidence, even making allowances for the fact that Villa are one of the best sides in the division, their chances of avoiding the drop look vanishingly thin.

Coleman made one change to the side that started the weekend draw at Millwall.

Donald Love came into the side at right wingback in place of Adam Matthews, who picked up an injury at The Den.

Bruce made two changes to the team that began the Villans’ 4-2 win at Sheffield Wednesday ten days ago with Albert Adomah and Neil Taylor coming into the side, and Josh Onomah and Alan Hutton the men to miss out.

Villa were on top right from the off, with Grabban seeing an effort blocked inside the first 10 minutes, and soon after Scott Hogan took a fresh-air shot when he should have at least tested Steele.

Hogan glanced a header onto the roof of the net on the half-hour as Villa continued to knock on the door.

At the other end, Ashley Fletcher squandered an excellent chance when he raced clear of Chester and got into the penalty area on the right, only for the ball to bobble up onto his knee and bounce behind for a goal-kick before he could even set himself to shoot.

And almost immediately Villa made them pay in the 34th minute.

Adomah’s deflected cross from the left looped over John O’Shea, sub Jones failed to deal it as it landed inside the six-yard box and it bounced up to Grabban at the far post which left him with the simplest of headers.

Sunderland were still in the game as half-time approached but they shot themselves in the foot in the third minute of added time as Chester got above Lamine Kone to head home Robert Snodgrass’ right-wing corner.

Coleman sent on Joel Asoro in place of O’Shea at half-time and switched to a back four in an attempt to get back in the game, but Villa never looked in any real danger.

Callum McManaman forced Johnstone into a save just after the hour, but just before the midway point in the second period Villa scored the third goal which killed the game.

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Hourihane picked up the ball inside the area on the left and his low shot took a touch off Oviedo which took it past Steele.

Asoro tried to go it alone and at least get Sunderland on the scoresheet, only to be foiled by the legs of Johnstone.

Steele made a save in injury time to prevent Adomah adding a fourth goal, but by then it was academic in any case.